A candle wick is usually a length of braided cotton extending the length of a candle that holds the flame of a candle for a set period of time depending upon the amount of wick and the amount of wax in the candle. A candle wick works by capillary action, by conveying, or “wicking”, the fuel (wax) to the flame. When the liquid fuel, typically melted candle wax, reaches the flame, it then vaporizes and combusts. The candle wick influences how the candle burns, depending on the diameter, stiffness, fire-resistance, and type of material the wick is made of. For centuries, candles have been used to provide a flame that emanates light and heat. However, in modern times, candles are not utilized for primary lighting, but for artistic, aesthetic, aroma, mood setting, and even insect repellant purposes.
Typically, candles utilize at least one wick generally situated in the center of the candle and extending the entire length of the wax. Once ignited, the wick burns and heats the wax surrounding the wick. The flame forms a molten wax pool around the base of the flame. As the wax proximate to the wick continues to melt, it is absorbed by the wick and is drawn by capillary action into the flame where it is vaporized and burned into constituent combustion products. Over time, the flame moves down the wick and continues to melt the surrounding wax. A candle is typically extinguished and ignited several times, whether hourly, daily, or seasonally. However, the persistent igniting, then extinguishing, reigniting, and re-extinguishing does not allow the candle to burn long enough to create a single well in the wax, which creates several issues. For example, the wick may become buried in molten wax as the wick burns deep into a larger diameter candle, causing the heat to melt wax from the inner walls, causing a pool of molten wax that is too large for the wick to consume. Alternatively, the wax may burn unevenly and away from close proximity to the wick, which again causes more wax to melt than the wick can consume. The excessive wax often reduces the flame height or even smothers the flame. When the wax cools, the wick is then buried below the upper surface of the wax, requiring the wick to be dug out prior to relighting. Because the aperture burned by the wick is too small for a human hand, knives spoons or sharp instruments are utilized in an attempt to free the wick without breaking it off shorter, which requires even more wax extraction.
Some candles are manufactured without a wick and include a small bore through the center of the candle through which the wick is inserted after the candle is manufactured. Thus, the candle wick may be inserted or located in the center of the candle, or the candle may include multiple wicks. Typically, a small metal disc is located at the base of the candle to hold the wick(s) in place. After a candle has partially burned, the molten wax extends around the wick and seizes the wick in place, preventing any further movement of the wick. However, as discussed above, several issues may arise because of the persistent extinguishing and reigniting which creates a cavity extending downward from the top of the candle. As stated above, the cavity or extremely long burn times cause the pool of wax to become too large, and may even smother out the flame of the wick. Once the flame is extinguished, the wax hardens, encasing the wick within the hardened wax. As stated above, in an effort to reignite the wick, individuals often use conventional tools from the kitchen in an attempt to dig the wax from around the wick in an effort to expose a sufficient amount of wick to reignite the candle. In many cases, the anticipated end result cannot be accomplished and the candle is discarded or stored away for a later attempt. There is, thus, a need for a tool allowing an individual to dig out a wick from a hardened pool of candle wax.
Furthermore, candles are sometimes contained in glass, metal or porcelain vessels and can be difficult to light under the best of circumstances. Large candles capable of burning for days are frequently extinguished and reignited. As discussed above, this often leaves the ignitable end of the wick buried deep in the reformed wax, thereby making it difficult for an individual to reignite the wick. Often, individuals turn the candle upside down in an attempt to reignite the wick by applying heat to the wax in an effort to melt it away from the buried wick. This is potentially unsafe, as the hot wax can drip onto the individual's hands and causing burns. Thus, the tool for exposing the wick should include sufficient length to extend into narrow and deep candles to expose the wick, which allows for easy relighting from an upright position.
Thus, the present invention provides a tool for removing re-solidified wax from around the wick of a wax candle. The tool should be slender and elongated to allow access to narrow and deep candle cavities or candles within containers. The tool should also remove the re-solidified wax in a manner that creates a cavity around the exposed wick to prevent the wick from being smothered out upon being reignited. The tool should be tubular and include multiple cutting edges which allow hand operation, while still providing an evenly cut cavity around the wick. An ejection rod should also be included for clearing the hardened wax from the center of the tubular tool.